GB1312459A - Apparatus for separating ribs from cut tobacco - Google Patents

Abstract

1312459 Winnowing tobacco HAUNIWERKE KORBER & CO KG 20 Nov 1970 [22 Dec 1969] 49301/70 Heading A2C An apparatus for separating rib portions from cut tobacco comprises a feeder for continuously supplying cut tobacco, projector means consisting of an endless travelling feed belt for projecting cut tobacco into a separating zone, rib collecting means arranged within the separating zone and a take-off conveyer for the leaf tobacco. The feeder comprises an apparatus for producing a homogeneous stream 2 of comminuted tobacco which is withdrawn continuously from a major tobacco supply store 1, in which a final definite smaller tobacco supply store 7 is produced the size of which is held approximately constant and from which the tobacco stream 2 is withdrawn, and tobacco is supplied to the final small tobacco supply store 7 from at least one preceding small supply store 11 the size of which is held approximately constant. Tobacco is supplied pneumatically to the store 1 from which it is fed by a spiked conveyer belt 18 under a rake roll 28 to the first supply store 11, the tobacco being removed from the belt 18 by a beater roll 26. The size of the store 11 is kept approximately constant by controlling the speed of the drive to the conveyer belt 18 in response to height variations detected by a light control device 29. The tobacco is forwarded from the store 11 on a constant speed conveyer 13 to two further small stores 9, 8 and the final store 7 in turn, the quantity of tobacco held in each store 11, 9, 8, 7 decreasing in the downstream direction, and the flow of tobacco from one store to the next being controlled by height adjustment of rake rolls 47, 46, 44 in response to level measurements of the stores 9, 8, 7 by light control devices 39, 38, 37. A final non-adjustable rake roll 35 is provided downstream of the final store 7, beyond which a beater roll 40 removes the tobacco from the conveyer 13 and deposits its on the conveyer belt 89. Projector means. The belt 89 in conjunction with a rotating drum 90 projects the tobacco stream 2 into a separating zone A in which the tobacco ribs 2a follow an upper path to a worm 94 that removes them, and the rib-free tobacco fleece 2b follows a lower path to be distributed by rotating rectangular crosssection bars 91, 92, 93 onto a fleece belt 95 which forwards the fleece 2b to a continuous rod forming conveyer 99 in a duct 98. Control means. The motor 36 may have its speed changed from full speed to a low or zero speed, or may have its speed continuously varied, in response to signals from the control device 29. Similarly, the rake rolls 47, 46, 44 may be displaceable to a high or a low position by electromagnets 58, 57, 51, or may be adjustable in a plurality of steps by an electric motor, in response to signals from their respective control devices 39, 38, 37. The light control devices 29, 39, 38, 37 may be replaced by other known level detecting devices such as devices using supersonics, nuclear radiation or high frequency energy.